An appearance in an All Ireland final looked a long way off last year when Fermanagh Ladies went through the campaign without winning a game.
A change of manager midway through the season saw Emmet Curry step in to take the players through to the end of the year and the Derrylin man was then appointed as manager for the forthcoming season.
Indeed, a spot in the All Ireland final was not on the horizon when the squad got together to start to prepare for this season with a low turn out at the beginning. However, numbers gradually increased and with the side winning games in the league confidence within the youthful squad was on the rise.
“I only took over midway through last year because there was no manager and they needed somebody. I had done the job seven years ago so I knew what to expect and it is tough,” explained Curry.
“Last year these girls never won a game, it was a very tough season for them but I took on the job again this season and I went to bring Mickey Cadden in as trainer. I know Mickey along time and I got him in and and he is excellent. We also have Josie Boyle in the backroom team and she is great to have about as well.
“When we started out in November though we had only eight or nine players out but I got some of the younger ones out and then they started come out in twos and threes and we have taken it from there,” added Curry.
This Fermanagh side have come on leaps and bounds since the start of the season. They broke that losing streak with a win over Derry in their league opener and also claimed an Ulster title with victory over the same opposition. Indeed, this Sunday will be the fifth meeting of the sides this season with the pair set to battle it out at Croke Park.
Fermanagh may have won the four games between the sides so far but Curry is wary of Derry.
“They will be hard to play against, they get 13 players behind the ball and the key for us will be to try and get four or five points up on them and get them out of their shell. If we can do that then they would then have to come at us and it is what we are working on in training. Derry have improved though and if we win by a point at the end then I will be absolutely delighted,” he said.
And Curry feels that a win on Sunday would cap off what has been a great season.
“A team that never won a match last season to winning an Ulster and an All Ireland in one year. 
“It would be some achievement and it would be great credit to the girls.”
So what would a win mean to Fermanagh Ladies football? 
“You would find that it would get girls out playing at U12 and in the Development squads and it would be great for football in Fermanagh,” he said.